There are so many good family dramas out there but ABC's TV show The Wonder Years is still one of the best. The show centered around a young boy growing up in the late 1960s was full of heart and really felt like a slice of a family's real life. Viewers became attached to the young Kevin Arnold and watching him grow with his family, best friends, the girl next door, and more all set during a pivotal time in America's history during the Vietnam War.
This year it was announced that a Wonder Years reboot is in the works as a collaboration between original star Fred Savage and Lee Daniels. Like the original, it will take place in the '60s but will be centered around a Black family living in Alabama. In honor of this exciting news, we've rounded up all of the show's original stars to see where they've been since the series wrapped in 1993 in addition to everything we know about the new cast of the reboot.
1. Fred Savage - Kevin Arnold
Wikipedia & Andy Kropa/Invision/AP
Fred Savage was already a household name when he booked the series due to his role as the grandson in The Princess Bride. Creators Neal Marlens and Carol Black knew they had found their Kevin when they saw footage of Savage from Vice Versa. Savage even became the youngest actor ever nominated for Lead Actor at the Emmy Awards when he was 13.
Outside of his acting career, Savage has become a prominent TV director and producer working on shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Modern Family, Disney show Phil of the Future, and more. As for acting, he recently starred in The Grinder and Friends from College on Netflix.
2. Dan Lauria - Jack Arnold
YouTube & Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Dan Lauria was the epitome of patriarch Jack Arnold on the TV series. Jack was a Korean War veteran who didn't like the changes going on in America during the 60s. He was grumpy and at times a bit gruff but you could tell he loved his family. Lauria has since appeared on Walker, Texas Ranger, How I Met Your Mother, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, This Is Us, and more.
3. Alley Mills - Norma Arnold
YouTube & Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Sweet Norma is a housewife and her husband's perfect opposite. She is always friendly and upbeat and wants more for her life than just cleaning the house. Norma offers a lovely viewpoint of rising feminism during that time in history. Mills has been a main cast member on The Bold and the Beautiful since 2006. She has also appeared on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Touched by an Angel, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Read More: 'Touched By An Angel' Cast: Where Are They Now?
4. Olivia d'Abo - Karen Arnold
YouTube & Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP
Karen is definitely the hippie of the family. She rebels against Jack's conservative viewpoints. She has a slew of boyfriends her father doesn't approve of, including Michael (David Schwimmer), who she ends up marrying. d'Abo has had a prominent voice-over career, appearing on The Legend of Tarzan, Batman Beyond, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm.
5. Jason Hervey - Wayne Arnold
YouTube & ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wayne was the epitome of an annoying older brother. He regularly called Kevin a "butthead" on the show. Hervey largely moved on from his career as an actor in Hollywood and became a public relations specialist as well as a video game developer. He has also made regular appearances on reality shows over the years like I Love the 80s and I Love the 80s Strikes Back on VH1.
6. Josh Saviano - Paul Pfeiffer
YouTube & Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Kevin's best friend Paul is a bit of a brainiac but a longtime pal. Even though he temporarily goes to a different high school, the gang comes back together again. Saviano ended up going to Yale and becoming a lawyer.
7. Danica McKellar - Winnie Cooper
YouTube & Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Kevin's love interest Winnie should definitely look familiar to Hallmark Channel fans. Danica McKellar is a regular on the network and has starred in everything from their beloved holiday films to her own mystery series, The Matchmaker Mysteries.
The Reboot Cast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6YpXU-ro-4
Based on the new trailer, we seriously can't wait for the new reboot to debut! It's already giving us all the feels and making us nostalgic for the original...we have no doubt it will be just as good!
1. Elisha "EJ" Williams - Dean
2. Don Cheadle - Future Dean (Narrator)
3. Dulé Hill - Dean's father, Bill
3. Saycon Sengbloh - Dean's mother, Lillian
3. Laura Kariuki - Dean's older sister, Kim
4. Milan Ray - Dean's crush, Keisa Clemmons
5. Julian Lerner - Dean's friend, Brad Hitman
6. Amari O' Neil - Dean's friend, Cory Long
This article was originally published in 2020 but has since been updated.
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